Instant Pot BBQ St. Louis Style Ribs

By Kath Dedon

.

Yes! You can use your Instant Pot to make really good BBQ St. Louis Style Ribs! I really love my recipe for Slow Roasted St. Louis Style Ribs, but it takes 4½ – 5 hours. Sometimes you don’t have time for “low and slow”.

I had wanted to make baby back ribs after finding Amy and Jacky’s great looking recipe for Easy BBQ Instant Pot Ribs. They look perfect and have rave reviews. But, alas, the only baby back rack of ribs at Safeway was frozen solid and it was already 3:00. I bought a St. Louis Style rack of ribs and headed home to figure out how to adjust the recipe.

As it turns out, all I had to do is add a bit of time. In a comment to a question about using St. Louis Style ribs, Amy and Jacky replied to simply add 5 – 8 minutes. Bingo!

We prefer ribs with a dry rub and no sauce. I skipped the BBQ sauce and substituted my favorite Southern Barbecue Rub for the salt and pepper to season the ribs. I already had a jar of the rub, so that saved some prep time.

Amy and Jacky recommend using a trivet in the Instant Pot. I used the one that came with the pot and placed the ribs on top of it. It turns out that the St. Louis Style ribs are too tall when they’re placed on the trivet in my 6-quart pot. Baby back ribs would have fit fine. I’m sure you could probably use a trivet with the taller ribs in an 8-quart Instant Pot. I didn’t use the trivet and the ribs turned out fine.

Instant Pot BBQ St. Louis Style Ribs took 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start to sitting down to dinner. That might sound like a long time, but it was only about 20 minutes of active time. And it’s much quicker than my Slow Roasted St. Louis Ribs.

I started the recipe at 5:10. Sealed and started the Instant Pot at 5:25. It was done cooking at 6:10 and the Natural Pressure Release finished at 6:30. I moved the ribs to a baking sheet and roasted them for 15 minutes. As they roasted I put together side dishes, a quick cabbage salad and peas. Everything was done, served and on the table by 6:55. That’s what I call an easy weeknight meal!

I hope you’ll try these tasty ribs. Bob and I loved them! Bob twice enthusiastically said how much he liked them and said they are definitely “blog-worthy”! And do look at Amy and Jacky’s post. They have a great video that shows you just how easy it is to make.

.

.

Instant Pot BBQ St. Louis Style Ribs

(Adapted from Amy+Jacky’s recipe on their Pressure Cook Recipes blog)

.

(print the recipe)

.

For baby back ribs follow the recipe, shortening the cooking time to 25 minutes.

 .

Serves 3 – 4   (Baby back ribs will most likely serve 2 – 3.)

 

1 rack St. Louis Style ribs

About ½ cup of Southern Barbecue Rub (recipe below), or your favorite BBQ rub

1/3 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce (Optional. I didn’t use sauce.)

1 cup water (1½ cups of water if you’re using an 8-quart Instant Pot)

 

1. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs using a blunt knife and a paper towel. (A sharp knife is not recommended because it’s too easy for it to slip and cut you. Watch this video to see the method I use.)

.

Ribs with the membrane removed. You can see the dinner knife I used.

.

2. Spread the rub all over both sides of the ribs.

.

3. Put the ribs in the Instant Pot.

.

4. Add the water. Seal. Make sure the pressure release handle is in the sealing position. Press the Manual button and set the time for 33 minutes. (For baby back ribs, set the time for 25 minutes.)

.

.

5. When the ribs are done, do nothing and let the pressure release naturally. (Natural Pressure Release) This will take about 20 – 25 minutes and the float valve will go back down. While the pressure is releasing, preheat the oven to 450°.

6. Remove the ribs from the pot and lay them on a baking sheet. If using BBQ Sauce, spread it over the ribs.

.

.

7. Roast for 10 – 15 minutes to add a bit of color. Cut the ribs and serve!

 

Southern Barbecue Rub

(Adapted from a recipe in Joy of Cooking)

 

¼ cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder (You could use smoked paprika instead.)

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons ground pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. The rub can be used with pork or beef.

.

.

.